Geo tourism and mechanisms of developing Geopark in Egypt as pplyied to The White Desert protected area

Abstract

Egypt has own many elements of natural and human tourism attraction that qualify it to be one of the first tourist countries in the world, and Geo tourism is one of the most important tourism patterns based on the principle of sustainability , There are many natural reserves in Egypt that contain rare geological formations and structures, the most important of which is the White Desert protected area at Farafra within the Western Desert. The idea of research in studying the tourism potential of the reserve, which qualifies it to be present under the umbrella of UNESCO as the first Egyptian geo park and to adopt a sustainable environmental marketing pattern for it. The study aimed to identify the Geo tourism, the Geo parks and the criteria for joining the global network of geological parks also, the most important economic and social benefits of exploiting this pattern. The study recommended the need to intensify efforts by the responsible authorities to provide all services that do not conflict with the nature of the place and preserve its identity, increase awareness campaigns for visitors, provide guiding signs inside the reserve, preserve the absorptive capacity of the place, and make tourist advertising comparable to the global importance of the place.